2 updates to "Collateral damage has a face"

Before reading this extra comments, read "Collateral damage has a face," posted earlier.

Monday morning I was in a field just outside of town, for an agricultural demonstration put on by another NGO.  I was the only foreigner among the 40 or so men there.  There were lots of long beards and tall turbans, but I was confident I was safe.  Some insurgents waffle back and forth between between being pro  and anti government, but on days when NGOs come with something to offer (this day it was tractors), these fellows will swing to the pro-government side, leave their weapons at home, and come participate like the common villager they are, in the event in hopes of getting something nice from the NGO.  My sense of security was rattled by the approaching sound of Apache helicopters.  These 2 choppers buzzed right over our heads.  I could clearly see all the artillery on these huge war machines.  They passed us quickly, then swung to the left and made another pass over our heads, this time slower.  I started to think myself, "I wonder who is here that they've been looking for."  The choppers passed us a second time and made another bend to the left, slowing and coming around for a third pass over us.  This time they really slowed to a near hover, making the dust in the field fly everywhere.  I had no idea what was going to happen next.  The possibility of the helicopters opening fire on us right there crossed my mind.  What could any of us do about it?  We were all sitting ducks, in a field, watching tractors complete a direct-seeding test plot.  They didn't open fire or drop missiles or anything like that.  Maybe it was impossible for them to do that, I don't know.  It seemed pretty possible for them to "kill them all, let God sort them out" (a slogan and bumper sticker I have seen several times in America).  It really would be a shame if I were killed by the military of my own country, because I was confused to be a bad guy, wouldn't it?  Do you feel that pain?  This is how I feel about the civilian casualties here.

And today I read an article titled "The forgotten wages of war".  It is relevant to the topic of civilian casualties, and I recommend you read it:

Click here to read the article